Why I Run for BARCStoberfest: Katelyn's Story
Hi! My name is Katelyn, and I'm the Assistant Director of Operations for BARCS Animal Shelter. My love for running began for a simple reason: my friends were runners, and I had FOMO. I started running in 2018 and eventually signed up for the Baltimore Running Festival’s 5K race. I loved the excitement of the runners, the spectators and the after-race party! That encouraged me to run more.
After a few (failed) attempts at running with my dog Puck, I knew I needed a running buddy that didn’t hate running more than I did. Enter Phoebe. When I adopted Phoebe, I had already run my first half marathon. But running with Phoebe is different—it means so much more and has brought us closer together. For her, no run is long enough, and even at my best, I’ll still never be fast enough to satisfy her.
Running is our “thing.” She knows when I grabbed my running shoes, and as soon as she sees my hydration vest, she starts her spins and under the breath shrieks like it’s Christmas morning.
As someone who has anxiety, I was admittedly nervous about running around new places. Running with Phoebe made me feel safe, and soon, we began exploring the city together on our runs. Phoebe and I have accumulated many miles over the years. She has trained with me through two full marathons, over 15 half marathons, and many, many shorter runs in between.
In 2021, I delivered twins at 29 weeks gestation. My son Mack passed away at four days old. The grief was immeasurable, but running helps. It was very hard to get back to life, to “normalcy,” and running after his death. If it wasn’t for Phoebe, I don’t know if I would have ever ran again.
She runs for fun, but, a lot of times, I run for her.
This year, we’ll be running the BARCStoberfest 5K together. We’ll be running for two very big reasons: in celebration of Mack’s memory and for the very deserving animals at BARCS Animal Shelter. Will you join us?
BARCStoberfest is Baltimore's favorite large scale, pet friendly festival and fundraiser that benefits the lifesaving programs and animal care at BARCS. Individual and team fundraising for BARCStoberfest raises critical funding for BARCS, Maryland’s largest open admission animal shelter, which rescues more than 10,000 animals per year. Our goal this year is $350,000, so please join us to raise funds for animals in need in our community.
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